Colonization Behaviour of Endophytic Biocontrol Agents in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)

Endophytes are potential biocontrol agents as endophytes are found to confer many benefits upon plants. This study evaluated the colonization behavior of endophytes in host plant. This research is important as the knowledge on how endophytes colonize and proliferate inside the host tissues will contribute to understanding biocontrol expression of endophytes when applied in the field. Endophytes were able to colonize and grow inside the host plant by modifying the plant cell wall constituents without triggering plant defense responses. Endophytes were found to outcompete the pathogen and trigger plant defense responses when co-existed with the pathogen inside the plant tissues.